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Obituary for Robert “Butch” Griner

August 11, 2011, People of St. Paul's (42)

Following is the family obituary for Robert "Butch" Griner, which was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 7, 2011. A memorial service in his honor was held at the church on Tuesday.

Robert Griner

GRINER, Robert Glen, affectionately known as "Butch" to friends and family, died August 5, 2011. Formerly of Norfolk, Butch was a resident of Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed by, and a member of, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. As the church's coordinator for the Downtown Community Ministries, Butch was privileged to serve the homeless of Richmond through the Emmaus Feeding Program. For over 10 years, he coordinated the care and feeding of over 140,000 guests. This was Butch's ministry which he greatly loved!

Born February 25, 1952, the eldest son of the late Margaret Ray Knowles and Robert Kitchen Griner, he is survived by his loving companion of 13 years, the love of his life, Linda Pitts; a son, Scott Griner; two grandsons, Tyler and Logan Griner; a granddaughter, Brooklan Griner; siblings, David A. Griner and Kelly K. Midgett and her husband, Paul; an aunt, numerous cousins, and a host of family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, at 2 p.m. on August 9, 2011. A reception will immediately follow the service in the Parish House. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society , or to the Richmond SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Road, Richmond, Va. 23220. Please share your love and condolences with the family at www.blileys.com.

Tags: butch griner, emmaus

Prayers for Butch

August 05, 2011, People of St. Paul's (42)

Posted by Wallace+

It is with a sad heart that I share the news with you that Butch Griner died last night.

As the staff of St. Paul's prayed together this morning, we remembered and gave thanks for Butch's warm, big-hearted presence, and for his gracious service to God's children in need. In the nine years that Butch has served St. Paul's, he has touched thousands of lives through his ministry with the Emmaus Walk-In Lunch program and the St. Paul's Food Pantry, through his friendship to those in the St. Paul's community, and through his living example of patience, compassion, and kindness. We all will miss Butch terribly, and we will pray for Linda, his loving partner, and for all those who grieve.

Butch's service will be held at St. Paul's, on Tuesday, August 9, at 2:00 p.m. We hope you will be able to join us.

Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Tags: butch griner, emmaus

Think You Can Live off of $1,000? Educational Game Tests You

March 10, 2011, People of St. Paul's (42), Guest Blog Posts (9)

Guest Post by Jenny Bliley, St. Paul's Social Worker

Could you do it? Could your family live off of $1,000 income for thirty days? How much is rent? Would you have money left over to buy food, pay for a field trip for your son, attend a family funeral out of town or get your car fixed? Urban Ministries of Durham has a great new educational game called SPENT that you can play on their web site www.playspent.org. You are given $1,000 to live off of for 30 days.

As a social worker I pride myself in understanding what it takes to stay within a limited budget and make ends meet. I certainly talk with families every day that are making these choices. So, I played the game and...

Photos: Homeward’s Winter Point-in-Time Count

January 28, 2011, People of St. Paul's (42), City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

Yesterday, St. Paul's hosted over 270 lunch guests and more than 30 volunteers as part of Homeward's 13th Winter Point-in-Time Count. The Point-in-Time Count, conducted by Greater Richmond region’s planning and coordinating agency for homeless services, is a twice yearly survey of the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single day.

As the central event site, service providers from around the region were also at St. Paul's offering free flu shots, blood pressure screenings, confidential HIV screenings, and hair cuts, as well as information about veterans services, offender aid and restoration, supportive housing, and more.

This morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:

"Do you get treatment for mental illness? Do you have a problem with alcohol? Do you have a physical disability? Do you have debts? Were you homeless as a child? Knowing more about the approximately 1,000 homeless people in the Richmond region helps the agency and others who serve the homeless do their jobs more effectively, said Homeward Executive Director Kelly King Horne."

Click below to view more photos from the day!

Click here to view extensive data from Summer 2010 Point-in-Time Count.

Tags: emmaus, homelessness, homeward

Updates from Our Partnership with Homeward

January 07, 2011, People of St. Paul's (42), Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

As Wallace+ often remarks, St. Paul's partnership with Homeward to help address, reduce, and end homelessness is central to our mission of proclaiming Christ in the heart of the city.

Just before Christmas, on December 21, Homeward organized a Memorial Vigil at St. Paul's to remember those who died without homes in Richmond in 2010. The service was one of hundreds that took place nationwide as part of National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Wallace+ offered an opening homily, followed by a reading of the names of the deceased with The Rev. Tyrone Nelson, pastor of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, Richmond's cold weather emergency overflow shelter.

In her closing remarks, Kelly King Horne, Homeward's Executive Director, urged those present to recommit themselves to helping prevent and end homelessness in 2011. With the New Year comes a new opportunity to get involved. Homeward is currently recruiting volunteers for the 13th Winter Point-in-Time Count at St. Paul's later this month on Thursday, January 27 (9 am - 1:30 pm).

Click on "read more" to jump to additional information about the vigil and this volunteer opportunity.

Photos courtesy of Mark Gormus, Richmond Times-Dispatch

For Whom the Bell Tolls

December 21, 2010, People of St. Paul's (42), Christianity (85), City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74), Love (17)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

Thank you to all those who attended this afternoon's Homeless Persons Memorial Vigil in the St. Paul's Memorial Garden, sponsored by Homeward. It was a poignant service as Wallace+ and the Rev. Tyrone Nelson of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church read the names of 17 individuals who died without homes in Richmond this year. The church bells tolled and candles were lit in honor of each life.

In his homily, Wallace+ described the importance of remembering each life:

We remember those who have died, and we hope that by remembering them, that we would also raise awareness—raise consciousness—in our community; that hearts might be moved, and that minds might be opened, so that metropolitan Richmond would become more the compassionate community that God yearns for us to be.

Words from the priest and poet John Donne speak to us now, reminding us of the unalterable bonds that all human beings share. With some gentle editing, Donne’s short mediation, “No man is an island”:

No man, or woman, or child, is an island entire to itself; every woman, every man, and every child is a piece of the continent, a part of the mainland; if a clod be washed away by the sea, America is the less, Richmond is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if any of one’s friends or one’s own family were; any man, woman, or child’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in humanity.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Click on read more for the full remarks.

Tags: emmaus, homeless, homeward

Radio One Gives Back at St. Paul’s

November 09, 2010, Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

Thank you (times 30) to our new friends at Radio One! On October 28, a team of Radio One Richmond volunteers spent the morning and afternoon helping serve a warm meal to over 300 Emmaus Walk-In Lunch guests. They were at St. Paul's as part of the 30 year anniversary of Radio One giving back to the community. Here in Richmond, Radio One used their 30 days in part to raise awareness about volunteering at St. Paul's and other area service providers on their local radio stations Praise 104.7 FM, KissFM 99.3 and 105.7, and iPower 92.1.

You can check out photos from the day on the Praise Richmond Web site or by clicking on the below slideshow, produced by KissRichmond.

Click on "Read more" to learn more about Radio One.

Tags: emmaus, volunteer

In the News: Micah, Emmaus & Tiffany at St. Paul’s

May 07, 2010, Church (77), In the News (Richmond) (74)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

In the past week, St. Paul's Micah and Emmaus ministries, as well as our Tiffany windows have been featured in the local press. If you've been wondering whether volunteering for Micah or Emmaus is for you -- or, perhaps, you're considering the tour guide ministry -- please take a moment to read the following stories and get involved! Click on "Read More" below for an expanded version of this post with excerpts.

Walking In Their Shoes